I AT THE SIGN OF THE SPHINX 




—J 




(lass_Z_ 

Book 

Copyright A' 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



AT THE SIGN OF THE SPHINX 



At the 
SIGN of the SPHINX 



BY CAROLYN WELLS 



" Heyday a Riddle ! Neither good nor bad ! " 
King Richard III. iv. 4. 



SECOND SERIES 




NEW YORK 
DUFFIELD & COMPANY 
1906 



.w^* 



Copyright, 1906, by 
DUFFIELD & COMPANY 



Published August, 1906 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 

Two Copies Received 

SEP 24 1906 

Cf Cepynjnt Entry 

^,»>^ "jtU 

CLASS A, XXc, No. 
COPY B. 



3 



/ 



TO 
WILLIAM BELLAMY 



CONTENTS 

PAGE 

AT THE SIGN OF THE SPHINX . . I 

ANSWERS • . 126 



At the Sign of the Sphinx 

Second Series 



At the Sign of the Sphinx 



^HE time has come. The waiting popu- 
lace 

Breathlessly watch him as he slowly 
mounts 

The scaffold. Though his timid, trem- 
bling steps 

Betoken fear, with calm and steady gaze 

He sees my whole above his head. So 
bright! 

So glittering! On that his eyes are fixed. 

Garbed all in white, a rope about his 
waist, 

My first upon his feet; silent, although 

He suffers agonies untold. But hark! 

He calls for drink. By some kind hand 
is passed 

To him a brimming tumbler, and within 

He sees my last and he is glad. He 
drinks, 

Then once again turns to my whole. 
Brave man! 



At the Sign 

He fears not death, but murmurs to 

himself: 
"This only I desire, that when I die 
Men say I did my work and did it well." 



of the Sphinx 3 

2 

THE scene was merry, bright and gay 
As I came to my first one day. 
Beside my last I saw a lass 
Dispense refreshment in a glass. 
She was my first. "My last," said I, 
"I '11 take a drink, for I am dry." 
Smiling, as she the goblet passed, 
She said, "Here you my first my last." 
"My whole," said I, "ere I depart, 
I'll say that there is in my heart 
(Just here the word must be reversed — ) 
A wish for your my last my first." 



4 At the Sign 

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M 



Y first is now before us, my second is here 

too; 
My whole is now here also, — and yet 

that 's not quite true. 
My first is, — no, what is it? That is for 

you to say; 
And where 's my second, tell me, yes, tell 

me that, I pray, 
And I will tell you truly, that though you 

look around, 
You cannot see my whole because it 's 

nowhere to be found. 



of the Sphinx $ 

4 

THE dusky shadows deepened and the 
night was drawing on, 
A weary maiden watched my dying first, 

so nearly gone; 
She mused awhile in silence, then to her- 
self she spake, 
"Ah, me, but when to-morrow dawns I 
know my first will break." 

The youth rode on. Like Scott's brave 

knight he stayed not for my last; 
He lingered not, nor faltered, but pressed 

onward hard and fast. 
Alas! he took the downward course with 

many dangers rife; 
But just in time he used my last and so he 

saved his life. 

My whole, by artists painted and by poets 

often sung, 
Thou hast across the Orient thy royal 

banners flung. 
Thy wonders and thy glories we travel 

miles to see, 
And the benighted wanderer oft sighs in 

vain for thee. 



6 At the Sign 

5 

MY first, thou 'it beautiful. Thy noble 
brow, 
Thy curving mouth, and straight and 

classic nose, 
All, all are dear to me. And though thou 

hast 
But scanty raiment, though both arms are 

gone, 
And though some toes are missing, even 

thus, 
To those who know thee and who love 

thee well, 
Thou art a thing of beauty and a joy. 

An ancient poet, famous for his lyre, 
With death was threatened by some 

wicked rogues. 
Courageously escaping from their clutch, 
He rode triumphantly upon my whole, 
Swiftly propelled and balanced by my last. 



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of the Sphinx 

6 

Y first in childhood is unknown, 
To us 'tis by experience shown; 
It has a prominent position 
Wherever there 's an Exhibition. 

My last, though old and like to die, 
Perhaps possessing but one eye; 
Are of small value, people say, 
And pass them carelessly each day. 
D stands for them, and I have found 
Them often in the common pound. 

My whole, men struggle to control, 
And with my last they meet my whole* 



M 



At the Sign 



Y first, although of use to men 
Is scarcely worth a stiver; 

But when a twin, it cannot then 
Be managed by a driver. 

My first 's my second and my third, 
A thread is wound around it; 

I lost it once, and on my word, 
'Twas by my whole I found it. 



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of the Sphinx g 

8 

Y first is a letter in juxtaposition; 
My second 's a letter in Syro-Phcenician; 
My third is a letter in fanfaronade; 
My fourth is a letter in rhodomontade; 
My fifth is a letter in comicalness; 
My whole combines gain and desirable- 
ness. 



IO At the Sign 



M 



Y first was a hapless queen 
Who died one day in Spring; 

My first might stand before an Earl 
But never before a King. 

My second is Erin's luck, 

The end of all success; 
My third is a Scandinavian god 

Who succoured those in distress. 

Scientists disagree 

About the immortal soul; 
But Evolution seems to prove 

We 're descended from my whole* 



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of the Sphinx 1 1 

10 

Y first was into prison cast, 

An angel made my first my last. 

My first was hanged; with silent tread 

The mourners came to view the dead. 

Fair Enid, so the legends say, 

Upon my total rode away. 



12 At the Sign 

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Y powerful first, thou standest in thy stall, 
Many a man is held beneath thy thrall; 
And men for thee will fortunes gladly 

spend, 
And yet by man thou 'it bound and boxed 

and penned. 
He stamps upon thee, puts thee on the 

rack, 
And markest thee with stripes across thy 

back. 

My second, goodly joys thou canst convey, 
Gladly we take thy round from day to day; 
Made of coarse clay, and often underbred, 
Dear to the heir, yet buried with the dead. 

My whole, what honored titles thou hast 

borne, 
Designed for use, thou also dost adorn; 
Allowed to roam, yet kept within the 

bound, 
By thine assistance oft the lost is found. 



of the Sphinx 1 3 

12 

T TK THEN out from the clouds the sun had 
W burst, 

My first of the people went to my first. 

My second and third may be covered with 

sod, 
And one in each town is given to God. 

My whole is a dire and terrible deed 
Of which in History we may read. 



14 At the Sign 

13 



T 



WAS not my whole, — and yet the King 

was there. 

A fate hung in the balance. Suddenly 
My second fell! A burning flush of 

shame 
Showed on the man's pale face. He 

looked aghast, 
And cried, "I can't retract, but I confess 
My fault, and beg forgiveness of my 

first." 



w 



of the Sphinx 1 5 

14 

HEN at an inn I stopped to dine 

Mine host brought out some rare old wine, 

It was a bottle of his best, 

My first and second it possessed, 

In peace I ate and drank my fill, 

Then asked the waiter for my bill, 

My whole was charged! I looked quite 

blank, 
My whole I neither ate nor drank. 



1 6 At the Sign 

15 



I 



HAD two gardeners who to work were 
loath, 

But straightway to my first I sent them 
both. 

Such lazy fellows! Yet I must admit 

A lazier one could be, — my second 's it. 

The ancients' art my whole doth repre- 
sent, 

A perfect figure softly curved and bent. 



H 



of the Sphinx 1 7 

16 

ENRY the Eighth grew tired of life 
With Catherine, his lawful wife. 
But for divorce he 'd no decree; 
Enraged, the King cried, "One, two, 
three!" 

But soon my first gave up her soul, 
Her body was no more my whole. 



1 8 At the Sign 

*7 



A 



SAD, mad maiden, with a fair, sweet face 
Offered my first, and called it herb of 
grace. 

My last is made of common clay, but then 
He 's liked extremely by his fellow-men. 

When I would seek instruction for my 

soul, 
I take my prayer-book down and read 

my whole. 






o 



of the Sphinx 1 9 

18 

NE gained and kept the foremost place, 
And by my first he won the race. 



My second is exceeding black 
And often follows after Jack. 

In old mythology we read 

My whole was served by Ganymede. 



20 At the Sign 

19 



A 



N old philosopher was my last, 
And his wife was my first in the distant 
past. 

Select two sticks that are smooth and 

straight, 
Lay them with care and precision great, 
One north and south, one east and west, 
They are my whole, it must be confessed. 



of the Sphinx 2 I 

20 

TO the grandest of monarchs that ever was 
seen 
My first was presented by Sheba's fair 
queen. 

Far, far away back in the ages long past, 
According to science, the earth was my 
last. 

My whole, on a rock, is reputed to be 
A danger encountered by sailors at sea. 



22 At the Sign 

21 



A 



WISE old proverb advises all 
To catch my last if my first should fall. 

A poet, who with genius glowed, 
Wrote to my whole a famous ode. 



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of the Sphinx 23 

22 

Y last are celebrated, noted, learned: 
Some will not come for years, and some 

are gone — 
Ah, never to return. And only one 
We may with truthfulness assert, exists. 
And yet my first can buy them, eat them 

too, 
And set them if he choose; and upon one 
Of them he may perhaps send forth my 

whole; 
Or on it may perhaps inscribe my whole; 
Or on my whole he may inscribe my last. 



24 At the Sign 

23 

WHETHER in winter's cold or summer's 
heat 
My lady trails my first along the street. 

My second figures in a certain nine; 
One of a celebrated Roman line. 

Scientists have a theory that my third 
Makes music, — but it never has been 
heard. 

A couple of my whole go to a ball; 
And on my whole is room enough for alL 



M 



of the Sphinx 25 

24 

Y first is made of clay 

And holds a growing palm; 
My second brings a day 

When all the air seems balm; 
My whole is quite a clever feat 

Performed by many a young athlete. 



26 At the Sign 

25 

MY first 's possessed by men and dogs and 
goats, 
By houses, churches, books and hats and 
coats. 

My second was a maiden young and fair, 
Entrusted to a guardian's watchful care. 

He who y s my whole cannot achieve great 

fame; 
Read my whole backward and it spells 

the same. 



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of the Sphinx 27 

26 

Y first, though scrutinized with close 

inspections 
Is found above all human imperfections. 
I hold it in my hand, — yet though polite, 
'T is of no use to me while in my sight. 
But still 'tis felt, and in my secret soul 
Upon reflection, I commend my whole. 
Now nothing can describe my second 

better 
Than the last part of a well-written letter. 
My whole cannot escape his fate so sad, 
Tradition tells us all his race goes mad. 



28 At the Sign 

27 



M 



Y first *s a sum of money that I have never 

seen 
Though I have earned it often and spent 

it too, I ween. 

When money is my second 'tis often 

hard to get; 
My second is a pretty sight, although it 's 

rather wet. 

My whole 's a, sad misfortune caused by 

a summer rain; 
It makes much trouble in my first, and 

goes against the grain. 



of the Sphinx 29 

28 



TO Sodom and Gomorrah on the plain 
Was sent a fiery storm of brimstone rain; 



When o'er the towns the fearful torrent 

burst, 
One was destroyed, the other was my 

first. 

My last we waste and spend, but cannot 

save; 
And on it we '11 be carried to our grave. 

My whole the rich and poor alike may 

claim, 
But soon it will possess another name. 



30 At the Sign 

29 



TO win my first men struggle all their 
lives, — 
Yet willingly present it to their wives. 



The wise man no great fortune has 

amassed, 
But lives his life contented with my last. 

An infant is my whole at early age; 
And Lot's wife was my whole on Script- 
ure's page. 



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of the Sphinx 3 1 

30 

EN travel in my first, 
Although perhaps it 's risky; 

My first goes round on wheels, 
Though not exactly frisky. 

Some may detest charades, 
And puzzles may distress them, 

But still they must admit 
It takes my last to guess them. 

Now all that I have said 

Is useless in the telling, 
Unless you take the word 

According to its spelling. 

But if you would prefer 

A varied information, 
We '11 now divide it up 

By its pronunciation. 

And then we see my first, 

Scaly and sticky-jointed 
Upon a rounded base, 

And very neatly jointed. 



32 At the Sign 

My second then becomes 
A horned beast, and hairy; 

Or else a lovely lace, 
Fit to bedeck a fairy. 

When merry Yuletide comes, 
And Christmas joys returning, 

In the old hall we '11 sit, 
And watch my total burning. 



of the Sphinx 33 

31 

THERE was a bachelor in days of old, 
Who wished to get himself a wife, we 're 
told. 

And so desirous of a wife was he, 

He started off to London, one, two, three. 

He must have found one to delight his 

soul, 
Because soon after they returned my 

whole. 



34 ^ the Sign 

32 



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Y first, before the fray had ceased, 
O tiered my whole for my last beast; 
Or Shakespeare tells us so at least. 



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of the Sphinx 35 

33 

Y first is given and received, a blessing 

and a bane; 
You may buy it at the station, get it gratis 

on the train; 
You may find it in a puppet-booth or in 

a banquet-hall, 
And I think perhaps the Roman is the 

noblest of them all. 

'Twas in my second, long ago, brave men 

put out to sea; 
And at a garden-fete I saw my second 

flowing free; 
And I leaned against my second of strong 

and solid oak, 
But as I grasped my second, alas, it 

dropped and broke. 

My whole at Christmas seasons with holly 

we entwine; 
Upon the old Whig taverns 't was painted 

as a sign; 
But in its depths lurk dangers, from its 

floating cakes of ice 
To its balmy breath of sugar-cane, its 

tropic fruits and spice. 



36 At the Sign 

34 



o 



NCE I passed through my whole. 'T was 

beautiful; 

'T was like a fairy-land, so gay, so glad, 
So free from care and sorrow. For a 

time 
I staid. Yet eagerly desired the day 
When I might leave its simple joys. Ah 

me, 
If but I might return to them again! 
My first is always in my whole. Some- 
times 
My first is in my last. When, long ago, 
Red Ridinghood on kindly errand bent, 
Walked to her grandam's cot across the 

wood, 
My last was on my first. 



of tht Sphinx 37 

35 

A SPIRIT rising in the air, continued still 
to fight; 
It was my first, who, when alive, put sav- 
age hordes to flight. 
And for my total, years had filled the 

Romans with my last, 
And at his grim and ghastly blade the 
conquerors looked aghast. 



38 At the Sign 

36 



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Y first a well known character on ancient 

history's page; 
His wooden effigy is sold for youth of 

tender age. 
My second 's very wicked, and Holy Writ 

declares 
Of those who made my second and the 

punishing she bears. 
My whole hangs from the branching trees, 
Swayed lightly by a passing breeze. 



I 



of the Sphinx 39 

37 

N gorgeous splendor, once upon a time 

My second reigned in Afric's sunny clime; 

A slave provoked his monarch's royal ire, 

And stood before him under sentence dire. 

"My first, my last," he stammered, "pity 
me! 

Must I obey thy horrible decree? 

Oh, thou who over millions hast con- 
trol— " 

One word the magnate uttered, 't was my 
whole. 



40 At the Sign 

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RE AT Shakespeare was my first; yet 

when he died 
He left my first. By loving hands his 

clay 
Was laid my second in the tomb. And 

now 
His tombstone to the traveler seems to 

speak, 
And say, "My second! here 's my first! " 
The fair Ophelia, gentle, hapless soul, 
Sank to a watery grave beneath my whole. 



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of the Sphinx 4 1 

39 

Y first was a scholarly Scotchman of note, 
Discourses and essays he learnedly wrote, 
My second was found in the post, such a 

scrawl! 
That letter never was opened at all. 
My third 's made of flesh and sinew and 

bone, 
My first, I suppose had two of his own; 
My whole is a man delightful to folks 
Who enjoy reading jocular jingles and 

jokes. 



42 At the Sign 

40 

T my first was my friend. 

We went for my last; 
I'da half-hour to spend, 
At my first was my friend; 
As we went round the bend 

O'er my total we passed. 
At my first was my friend, 

We went for my last. 



A 



of the Sphinx 43 

41 

H, distinctly I remember 
'T was my first and not December, 
And each separate dying ember wrought 
its ghost upon the floor, 

Eagerly I wished the morrow, 
Vainly I had sought to borrow 
In my last, surcease of sorrow, sorrow for 
the lost Lenore. 

For my whole so rare and radiant, 
Whom the angels name Lenore — 
Nameless here forevermore. 



44 A% the Sign 

42 

SAFE from the cold December storm, 
I sat by my whole so bright and warm, 
When the cry of my first I plainly heard. 
My last sprang up without a word; 
And panic-stricken, in sudden fright, 
We rushed out into the winter night. 



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of the Sphinx 45 

43 

EN often strive my first to gain 

By strength or skill, by speed or worth; 

It causes deepest woe and pain, 

It causes also joy and mirth. 

I watched a tennis-player serve, 

And through the air the ball whizzed fast, 

But took an unexpected curve; 

The umpire said it was my last. 

With thoughtful eyes and puzzled brow, 
It is my whole you 're reading now. 



46 At the Sign 

44 



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ENEATH the Roman Eagle's glory, 
Great Caesar, famed in song and story, 
Triumphant banners floating o'er him, 
Carried my Roman first before him. 

In springtime days of sunny weather, 
When lads and lassies dance together, 
Around the May-pole gaily flying, 
They are my last, there 's no denying. 

A gallant knight and lovely lady 
Were sauntering down a pathway shady; 
He offered her, with words beguiling, 
My whole, which she accepted, smiling. 



of the Sphinx 47 

45 

A SOLDIER of the rebels lay dying in the 
field; 
A brave but sturdy fighter, he could fall 

but could not yield. 
But a comrade stood beside him while his 

life-blood trickled fast, 
And bent, with pitying glances, to wrap 

him in my last, 
Seeking his country's glory, e'en in the 

cannon's mouth. 
Though in the midst of bloodshed, my 

first stood for the South. 
The dying soldier faltered as he took his 

comrade's hand, 
Saying, "Make my whole, my brother, 

it is my last command. " 



48 At the Sign 

4 6 



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OPING my first kind Heaven will send 
her, 

The suppliant prays on bended knee. 
Like Little Billee, "young and tender," 

We all desire my last shall be. 
So that she might become my whole 
God breathed in Eve a living soul. 



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of the Sphinx 49 

47 

OROTHY DAUBER sat serene, 

Painting my total on a screen, 

When a little mouse went scampering o'er 

Dorothy Dauber's yellow floor. 

Dorothy, with a piercing cry, 

Clambered up on a table high; 

My first went madly rushing past 

Waving vigorously my last. 

Such a commotion in the house, 

And all on account of a little mouse. 



50 At the Sign 

48 

MY first, of high degree, 
Thousands succumb to thee — 
In Oriental countries thou art found; 
Beneath thy mighty power 
Thy fainting victims cower, 
Thy greatness brings them prostrate to the 
ground. 

Unhonored and unsung, 

My second was, when young, 

Beheaded by a tyrant's stern decree; 

Her home and friends she left, 
Her children were bereft, 

Yet martyred in a worthy cause was she. 

In far Afghanistan, 

In China and Japan, 
On Greenland's ice and India's coral strands; 

My whole in mighty hordes, 

So history records, 
Worship their idols in barbaric bands. 



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of the Sphinx $ 1 

49 

N a little old school-house that stood on 

a hill 
A little old schoolmaster taught with a 

will. 
But over his pupils he had no control; 
They said he was crusty and cross and 

my whole. 
And the rascals declared it would serve 

him just right 
To play him a practical joke some fine 

night. 
So down to the river they went, and they 

took 
My first from my last of the dark, muddy 

brook. 
Then they eagerly hurried, yet still as a 

mouse, 
Till they came to the little old school- 
master's house. 
They smuggled my first in my last with 

great glee, 
And chuckled to think how irate he would 

be. 



52 



At the Sign 



50 



EAVING my whole with grief and pain 
fColumbus sailed across the main. 
He came at last to western lands 
And saw the Red Men's savage bands. 
They were my last, they were my first, 
Columbus' fears were then dispersed. 



of the Sphinx 5 3 

Si 

^ROM history's truthful page, 

We all of us may know 
My first was strongly built 

Thousands of years ago. 
The books of ancient lore 

We read again and see 
That long before my first 

My whole was said to be. 

And people who lived then, 

Had surely never heard 
Of the 20th century 

My second and my third. 



54 At the Sign 

52 



M 



Y grandsire in the Mayflower came across 

the raging waters, 
And so I sought to join the Revolutionary 

Daughters. 
I studied up my pedigree, and when my 

search was ended, 
I learned to my chagrin that from my 

first I had descended. 

The cashier left his books in wild confu- 
sion and disorder, 

And started to my last across the far Cana- 
dian border. 

My whole is used by artisans of ever}' 

clime and nation, 
The blacksmith's need, the mason's pride, 

the school-girPs detestation. 



of the Sphinx 5 5 

53 

J HE breaking waves dashed high, 

The vessel rose and fell; 
My first was drenched from end to end 
With every heavy swell. 

The vivid lightning flashed, 

The awful thunder boomed. 
" Unless my last is sent to us," 

The captain said, "we 're doomed." 

The tempest cleared away 

Before the morning light. 
"Within my whole," the captain said, 

"I 've not seen such a night." 



$6 At the Sign 

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Y first, with the meek brown eyes, 
In whose orbs a shadow lies, 
Standing with reluctant feet 
Where the brook and river meet, 
If where wild-flowers blossom rank, 
You my last upon the bank, 
Down the hillside you may roll 
And play havoc with my whole. 



of the Sphinx 5 7 

55 

MY first, men call thee wicked, and perhaps 
they may be right, 
Yet I contend thou shouldst be judged 
according to thy light. 

My last, thou art a messenger received 

with joy or dread, — 
Frequently driven, very deaf, found in an 

humble shed. 

My whole, of upright bearing, and found 
in many lands, 

In order to be seen of men, upon street- 
corners stands. 



58 At the Sign 

56 

THE vast hosts of Egypt, at Pharaoh's de- 
cree, 

All blazing in armor marched down to the 
sea. 

The plot was devised in a moment of rage, 

By my last, who committed my first 
'gainst a sage. 

A dry way through the sea for the hosts 
was revealed; 

But this availed naught, for their dark 
doom was sealed; 

The furious billows no power could con- 
trol, 

And 'neath the dark waters they soon were 
my whole. 



of the Sphinx 5 9 

57 

CLAD in his ermine and his robes of state, 
The haughty king in pomp and splendor 
sate. 

And 'mong the crowds which thronged 
the regal chair, 

My first approached, and looked upon him 
there, 

She, too, with white-furred robe and gen- 
tle mien, 

And noble air and countenance serene. 

"What does she here? " grumbled a 
doughty knight. 

The king replied, "The world hath said 
she might. " 

I walked across a sunny field one day, 

And saw an old man working by the way. 

"How is my last, old man? " I gaily said. 

"My last? " said he, and bent his grizzled 
head. 

"How is my last? " I said it o'er again. 

"My last? " he said (he seemed per- 
plexed), and then — 

"Is my last good? " I asked of him once 
more. 

"Fine, sir," he said; "better than e'er 
before." 



60 At the Sign 

Across the ocean's wave my total lies; 
And, as Lord Tennyson in verse implies, 
Is dull and undesirable; but still, 
I 'd gladly travel there, had I my will. 



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of the Sphinx 6 1 

58 

Y first, a graceful shape, a lady fair, 
Walking the earth, suspended in the air; 
Shrill-voiced and brazen-tongued, low- 
toned and sweet, 
Shining and dull, discordant and discreet. 

The jolly fisherman, his day's work o'er, 
Walks with his string of fish along the 

shore; 
Knowing they '11 make a bountiful repast, 
He proudly takes them homeward to my 

last. 

Once in my whole a lovely maiden swung, 
And ever since we 've heard her praises 
sung. 



62 At the Sign 

59 



A 



WELL known ballad has rehearsed 
The placid waters of my first. 
The hero bold, his noble friend, 
The heroine's sad, untimely end, 
Why by a traitor was immersed 
Beneath the waters of my first. 
Another ballad I could name 
Describes the doings of a dame; 
Her home-life, and her walks abroad, 
And her companions. We are awed 
At all the tales her memories tell, 
And what strange happenings befell. 
'T is said that she went to my last. 
Now this we know: that if she passed 
Into my last, and did n't hand 
My last, according to demand, 
J T was not my last, and we may say 
She was a deadhead in her day. 
My whole 's desired by every one 
From day to day, from sun to sun. 
For it we pray, we work, we earn; 
Look out for it at every turn. 
And when at last we 've had our day, 
My last my first we '11 have to say. 



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of the Sphinx 63 

60 

MET my whole in a far-distant lancl, 
Shiftless and wild he roamed upon the 

sand. 
"Are you my last? " with sudden fear I 

said. 
He only said my first, and wagged his 

head. 
Yet but reverse the letters of my whole, 
A friend we see, a noble loving soul. 



64 At the Sign 

61 

THE banners were waving, gems glittered 
and shone, 
When my first and my second ascended 

the throne, 
And peacefully reigned with a merciful 

sway 
In glory and splendor. But one summer 

day 
A message was brought to the court and 

the state 
That the king was not coming, the session 

must wait. 
A great consternation o'er all faces spread; 
They whispered in sorrow, " Alack for his 

head! " 
And the courtiers echoed, "Alas for his 

poll! 
Oh, who can now help him, his head is 

my whole! " 



I 



of the Sphinx 65 

62 

KNOW a boy; his name 's my last. 

And yet he is my first, 
Because of all the scamps I know, 

He really is the worst. 

I saw him tumble down to-day 

And on the pavement roll; 
I saw him fight another boy, 

I saw him get my whole. 

His old cap was my whole, I think; 

A tattered coat he had, 
And yet, withal, he seemed to be 

A very merry lad. 



66 At the Sign 

63 



M 



Y first, untidy though thou art, 
A noted writer, and a scribe, 

This trait of thine hath won my heart: 
Thy kindness to the feathered tribe. 

My second dwells among the hills, 
Or lives on India's coral strand; 

And many hearts with fear it thrills 
When marching in a mighty band. 

Sailing upon the summer seas, 

I watch the yachts and pleasure boats 

Spurred on by the propelling breeze — 
How gracefully my total floats! 



M 



of the Sphinx 67 

64 

Y first is good when it 's alone; 

The best ones are our mothers' ; 
And though we have it of our own, 

We 're apt to take another's. 

In many devious paths we stray 
When by my first we 're beckoned; 

And by my first we 're dragged away, 
Or else we are my second. 

Sometimes my second may be shot, 
Which brings much grief and dole; 

But when my second's very hot 
It cannot be my whole. 



68 At the Sign 

65 

FIRST sign of Liberty! My first has 
stood 
For half a hundred years, and still is good 
For half a hundred more. My last, 

though thin, 
Though old and bent, yet lithe and 

strong, has been 
Strung up for killing U. S. Army men, 
Perhaps deprived them of my whole; and 

when 
My whole is lacking, he would be a goose 
Who said most stovepipes are of any use. 



w 



of the Sphinx 69 

66 

HEN hunting my last in the forest I heard 
In my first, as I passed, the song of a bird; 
If you seek in my whole you '11 discover 
the word. 



70 At the Sign 

6 7 

MY second once again is running clear, 
The young green of my whole begins to 

appear, 
All things my first to show that spring is 
here. 



of the Sphinx Jt 

68 

MY whole was a queen 
Of disconsolate mien 
Who built a large pile in the past; 
In sorrow immersed, 
She vowed to my first, 
And that 's what she vowed to my last. 



J2 At the Sign 

6 9 



1 



F my last could be placed upon my first, 
The world would be the better; 

My whole must be carefully rehearsed 
If you 'd write a perfect letter. 

My last has been laid upon my last; 

Bad men in my first are living; 
My whole 's a doctor who may be classed 

Among the pleasure-giving. 



M 



of the Sphinx 73 

70 

Y first is the well known historical home 

Of a noted historical lady; 
My first in strange countries is oft known 
to roam, 

Or along a green path cool and shady. 

My first is my lady's great pride and de- 
light, 
Yet they say the fair sex cannot do it; 
My first stamps the home, though 't is oft 
out of sight; 
When I was a child I went through it. 

My last is a very queer book, so men say, 
So scarce that we rarely can find it; 

A most welcome caller, a place far away, 
'T is twisted, yet still we can wind it. 

My whole, a great healer, thy power I 
allow, 
Though others thy help may be scorn- 
ing; 
For ere I go worldward, to thee I must 
bow, 
And beseech thine assistance each 
morning. 



74 At the Sign 

71 



w 



HEN brave Leander was immersed, 
And through the waters passed, 

We 're very sure he was my first, 
But he was not my last. 

And my whole garments which he wore,- 

This young enthusiast, — 
Laid in my first upon the shore, 

Would have become my last. 



M 



of the Sphinx 75 

72 

Y first is my last, and my first is my 
whole; 

My whole is my last and my first; 
My whole is a ball I attempted to roll, 

But I think of all balls 't was the worst. 



76 At the Sign 

73 



M 



Y first is old and yellow, 

Withered and seamed by age; 

A most discerning fellow, 
Oracular and sage. 

My last comes in the winter, 

But not in storm or blast; 
The sluggard and the printer 

Will often take my last. 

My whole is a goddess of fabulous fame. 
Or a long line of articles, somewhat the 
same. 



A 



of the Sphinx *JJ 

74 

KING had many wives, 

Of whom my first was one; 
He spoiled their happy lives, 

Apparently for fun. 

And some he sent away, 

Of home and friends bereft; 

Of some, ere they could pray, 
The steel my last had cleft. 

With each, successively, 

The King found some pretext 

For banishment; and he 
Would then my whole the next. 



78 At the Sign 

75 

A TRAVELER rode hard and fast, 
Shivering with cold and dread. 
"If I can but reach my first in my last, 
I shall then be safe," he said. 

The way was rocky and dark and steep, 

My last was flying past; 
He sought for an inn where he might 
sleep, 

Sheltered from storm and blast. 

He traveled on, through mud and mire, 
When, to his great delight, 

He saw an inn and a friendly fire, 
And went there for the night. 

And from him shouts of laughter burst — 

He reveled in my whole, 
Which quickly made my last my first, 

And cheered his lonely soul. 



N 



of the Sphinx 79 

76 

OW glory to the Lord of Hosts, from 

whom all glories are, 
And glory to our sovereign liege, King 

Henry of Navarre! 

He was my first, a mighty man, a warrior 

for the right; 
He showed my whole, and went my first 

when he my last to fight. 

Although my last is duty's cry, with some 

it goes for naught; 
In all adventures have my whole, if you 

would not be caught. 



80 At the Sign 

77 



H 



IGH in my first they waved the flag, 
'Mid shouts of wild applause; 

And soldiers brave marched to my first, 
And fought to win the cause. 

Without my second we could not 
Assert that " Right is might," 

Nor "Virtue is its own reward," 
Nor other proverbs trite. 

My last we all admit to be 

A blessing unsurpassed; 
Though some would give my last for all, 

Some give all for my last. 

We often pass my total by 

With but a hurried look; 
And though we cannot read it, yet 

We find it in a book. 



I 



of the Sphinx 8 1 

78 

WAS sitting in my study- 
In my first the fire was ruddy, 
And I watched it as I idly clasped my 
whole; 
Though a sober man I 'm reckoned, 
To my lips I raised my second, 

For I never was addicted to the bowl. 

I was waiting for my daughter, 
And at last I went and sought her — 

She has tresses like a golden aureole; 
But she hastily retreated, 
For her face was flushed and heated, 

And her pretty curls were clustering 
round my whole. 



82 At the Sign 

79 



M 



Y first did my last 
To make my whole; 

His day is past, 
Poor, restless soull 



of the Sphinx 83 

80 

10ME things we could well do without; 
) In my total we gather with care. 
If my last ever lived, I Ve no doubt 
That he is my first, now, somewhere. 



84 At the Sign 

81 



M 



Y whole 's very narrow, but oft it may be 
A way of escape that is welcomed with 

glee. 
My first, although swift, sometimes loses 

the race; 
It is seen when we look a friend in the 

face. 
My last we may estimate, measure, or 

guess, 
The width of a coat and the length of a 

dress. 



of the Sphinx 85 

82 

ALTHOUGH his course the captain could 
my whole to a degree, 
Called to my first, he was my last upon a 
stormy sea. 



86 At the Sign 

83 



Y 



OU can turn my first, and it gives a nod; 

You can turn my last if you will; 
But the more you try to turn my whole, 

The more it stands stock-still. 



w 



of the Sphinx 87 

84 

HEN the story about Looking Backward 
we read, 

We learn of a strange human being, 
Who turned to my first; unlike many 
deed, 
The trouble was caused by far-seeing. 

In my second (though flowing with honey, 
I 've heard) 
I hope I shall ne'er be a dweller; 
And yet from my first to my second and 
third 
Is as far as from attic to cellar. 

My whole comes in pairs, and is useful to 
all, 
Though its style may be out of all rea- 
son; 
Its fashions are changing, now large and 
now small, 
And we 're glad if itholdsbut a season. 



88 At the Sign 

85 

(HE sparkling wine was bright and red; 
't was tempting, but, alas! 

Full well I knew my whole, unseen, was 
lurking in the glass. 

And when, with wily argument, they of- 
fered it to me, 

I said I would not drink, and what I one, 
two, three I 



M 



of the Sphinx 89 

86 

Y first, when full, holds many a pound; 
In my last of my first a duke was drowned. 
My first of Troy is much renowned; 
My last an obstacle oft is found; 
'Mid songs and dances they heard the 

sound 
Of my whole one time when a king was 

crowned. 



90 At the Sign 

87 



M 



Y first can boast a head and tail, 

Has feathers and an eye, 
And sometimes wings; yet what avail? 

It cannot walk or fly. 

And St. Paul was my first, we 're told; 

And my first may be bought 
In bottles, — but though rare and old, 

Its value 's almost naught. 

Out of my last my first is made, 

My last is in a crown; 
And heroes wield its shining blade 

For glory and renown. 

My whole, a marvel of brute force 
With human power combined; 

We never see it now, of course, 
We 've left it far behind. 



M 



of the Sphinx 9 1 

88 

Y first, the Scriptures say, in Eden grew. 
Pronounce its letters — there 's my whole 

for you! 
My last name to myself I can't apply; 
My whole, tradition says, could never lie. 



92 At the Sign 

89 



M 



Y last was very tall and very slim 
So all his people made a mock of him; 
Their jeerings worried him and grieved 
his soul; 
And when a clown with jest and laughter 

passed, 
And said, "Aha! you are my first, my 
last! " 
He said, "Don't speak to me; I am my 
whole. " 



I 



of the Sphinx 93 

90 

'D oft be thankful, could I be my whole; 
And yet I would not always be my whole; 
I woo my first, that I may be my whole; 
Cockneys call her my last; but in my 

whole 
When to my first I go, I am my whole. 



94 At the Sign 

91 



"A 



BIRD in the hand is worth two in the 
bush," 

How often we 've heard those old words, 
And my total, I have it on evidence strong, 

Is exactly the worth of two birds. 

The dome of St. Paul's is my first, my 
last; 
The dome of St. Peter's is, too; 
But if you should go there and see for 
yourself, 
You would say that this is n't true. 



T 



of the Sphinx 95 

92 

IS growing dusk, yet in the gathering 

gloom 

I still can see two faces in the room. 
On one face two of my first I can spy, 
And on the other twenty I descry. 
And of my second, one face shows me 

none 
While I see five upon the other one. 
My whole is on one face; but placed with 

care 
Above the other rests on shining hair. 



96 At the Sign 

93 



M 



Y first grows by the riverside, 
And in the fields it has been seen; 

T is raised on poles, the country's pride, 
Dear to the peasant and the queen. 

The men had many battles braved, 
And on my last I saw them sit, 

Beside the General, who waved 
My last, and read aloud a writ. 

Beside a river flowing free, 

The spot marked by a grassy mound, 
My whole, nicknamed "Old Hickory," 

Was long ago put in the ground. 



M 



of the Sphinx 97 

94 

Y whole drops from trees. 

My last is a season, 
When as every one sees 
My whole drops from trees. 
My first is a breeze, 

And that is the reason 
My whole drops from trees. 

My last is a season. 



M 



At the Sign 

95 

Y first is black and white and blue and 
red, 

'T is yellow, yes, and sometimes it is 
gray; 
'T is high and low, 't is restless and 't is 
dead, 
'T is writ for us to read and sing and 
play. 

My last is greeted with delight and dread, 

The farmer's solace and the farmer's 

bane; 

Trod by his feet, yet worn upon his head, 

Refreshed and ruined by a drenching 

rain. 

My whole lay deep beneath the waves, 
they said, 
But bravely rescued from the billow's 
roll, 
Though dripping wet upon the sands out- 
spread, 
With gladness and delight I pressed my 
whole. 



of the Sphinx 99 

96 

J HE melancholy days have come, the sad- 
dest of the year; 

There 's not a flower on all the hills be- 
cause my first is here. 

And through the keen and wintry air I 
watch the leaves my last; 

I shall not see my whole again until the 
winter 's past. 

LOFC. 



100 At the Sign 

97 

THE jolly old farmer was my last; 
As he went to my first, o'er my total he 
passed. 



A 



0} the Sphinx 10 1 

98 

N artist stepped into an office one day, 
And held up my first for the clerk to sur- 
vey; 
"It 's a good black and white, 
But it is n't quite right, 
For I just drew it off in a hurry last night. 
It 's not very fine, 
Nor of novel design, 
But I hope 't will be taken and hung on 

the line." 
He had scarcely gone out when a lady 

came by, 
And she stopped in to ask if my second 
was dry. 
"'Twas a canvas," she said, 
"And it fills me with dread, 
To think that the colors have faded or 
spread. " 
Well, I sat there all day, 
In that very same way, 
Amazed at the endless and changing array 
Of my whole that appeared in a motley 
display; 
Percale and pique*, 
Some green and some gray, 



102 At the Sign 

Worn in all colors and worn in all shades, 
Worn by the ladies and worn by the maids, 

By large and by small, 

By short and by tall, 
Till I ran away home to get out of it all. 



A 



of the Sphinx I03 

99 

S my first was walking with weary step, 

on a drear and lonely road, 
With a heavy heart and a downcast glance, 

of my second be bore a load; 
He saw my third, he was soon my third, 

he had reached his welcome goal, 
And with song and dance and merry jest, 

he listened to my whole. 



104 At the Sign 

ioo 



B 



ENEATH the gaslight's brilliant glare 
The feast was spread with dainties rare. 
My whole was set with silver fine, 
And shining glass and sparkling wine. 
A wise professor, old and staid, 
Was talking to a chattering maid. 
In ancient lore she was not versed, 
She was my last, and he my first; 
While I across the table sat, 
Wishing I could enjoy her chat. 



o 



0} the Sphinx 105 

IOI 

LD Deacon Griggs made money fast; 
His greatest virtue was my last. 
But his son John turned out my whole, 
Which grieved the deacon's sordid soul; 
For hast'ning to my first, the son 
Disbursed the gold that Griggs had won. 



io6 At the Sign 

102 



A 



N ancient family of Chaldee 

Went from my first to Canaan's land. 
My second I can never see, 

But I can hold it in my hand. 
My whole is found on the ocean's bed, 
Though often on pillows he rests his head. 



of the Sphinx 107 

103 

UPON my last I saw a yacht; 
My last is smooth, my first is not. 
My first felt Alexander's blade, 
My last has formed a strong blockade; 
Both can be broken, cut or made; 
And when you see my whole displayed 
Upon my last, oh, then beware! 
To venture near it do not dare. 



108 At the Sign 

104 



M 



Y first is often broken, 't is so frail; 
Sometimes it has a head, sometimes a tail; 
Lives in the water, worn upon the hand, 
Dooms the offender, represents a land. 
My last is found on mankind and on 

brute, 
Possessed alike by fish and fowl and fruit. 
The daring mariner who seeks the pole, 
Failing to find it, may secure my whole. 



of the Sphinx 1 09 

105 

A SOLDIER and a sailor met 
One day upon the shore; 
And one was my first with a coat of my 
last, 
And my whole the other wore. 



HO At the Sign 

106 



M 



AID of Athens, ere we part, 
Hear my first with tender heart; 
Ere another hour is past, 
Let me be of thee my last. 
Then behold my very soul 
Filled o'erflowing with my whole. 



of the Sphinx III 

107 

^HE yacht was flying fast; the day was 

fair; 
The sky was clear and blue; and my first, 

white 
Upon the sailors and upon the sea. 
I stood upon the deck, and with my last 
I saw the distant shores of Barnegat, 
I watched the heaving billows roll and 

toss, 
I thought that we were going to my whole. 



112 At the Sign 

108 



IT was my whole, a thunder-storm had 
burst; 
My last was fierce, and filled us with my 
first. 



of the Sphinx 1 1 3 

109 

A COLLEGE youth toward magic yearned, 
And all the wizard's arts he learned. 
He had the mumbo -jumbo pat, 
And made my first in his silk hat, 

Sorcery, black art, and all the rest 
He could accomplish with the best; 
And when, as wizard, he fell flat, 
He made my last in his silk hat. 

Dressed for the street, he chanced to pass 
One day, before his cheval-glass; 
With faultless garb and new cravat, 
He saw my whole in his silk hat. 



114 At the Sign 

no 



w* 



EN Pope remarked, "Whatever is, is 

right," 
His words were half my first. When 

Hamlet said, 
"To be or not to be," my first was part 
Of his great speech, and even now 
My first is plain before your eyes. My 

last, 
Provides a home and sustenance for all; 
A welcome shout; an exclamation used 
By country folk or those of little wit. 
My whole my first my last. 



of the Sphinx I 1 5 

m 



N 



O one can work as fast 
As my first my last. 
My whole presents at will 
An enormous bill. 



Ii6 At the Sign 

112 



w 



EN from my ivied casement I look down 
Upon the garden bathed in sunset glow 
I see my first ranged in imposing rows 
Yet distant as the poles, 

I hear the noise 
Of merry children romping in their glee; 
I hear their laughter and I hear my last. 

A hero of my youthful days there was, 
Who, with inquiring mind and hatchet 

sharp, 
Upon my whole reached everlasting fame. 



o} the Sphinx 



117 



M 



113 

Y first was ground beneath the oppressor's 
wheel, 

Subjected unto barbarous tyrannies; 

With ears cut off, encaged in netted wire 

Into a burning fiery furnace thrust. 

My first take from my second, and my 
whole 

Remains. 

My second is a faithful friend. 

Gaily with him across the moors I go 

From morn to dewy eve. 

I went one day 

To visit an old man. Beside the fire 

He sate. His well-loved pipe, made of 
my whole, 

He smoked in calm and undisturbed con- 
tent. 



1 18 At the Sign 

114 



M 



Y first \s a very common thing,— 
It has been worn by cat and king; 
Part of my lady's fine attire, 
The soldier's pride, the tramp's desire. 

My second, with a vacant stare, 
Jaunty red cap and curling hair, 
Once at a gay and festive scene, 
Captured a bright and smiling queen. 
My whole is very often used . 
To hit a beast that 's much abused. 



of the Sphinx 119 

115 

MY dogs I love, my horses I adore; 
They 're much to me, and yet my last is 

more. 
And though my first is less, my whole I 

know, 
Has ever been my last's unconquered foe. 



120 At the Sign 

116 



A 



BRAVE man looked forth and a figure 

he saw; 
'T was bound to my first — he surveyed it 

with awe. 
And as it was fast disappearing from 

sight, 
He began to my second with furious 

might. 
An often-fought foe, very hard to control, 
In the Scriptures we read of the fall of 

my whole. 



I 



of the Sphinx 1 2 1 

117 

N certain realms men have to bring 
My first to earth before their king; 
In others, they are only bound 
To make my second touch the ground. 
My whole 's a curious little man — 
One of a most amusing clan. 



122 At the Sign 

118 



T 



HOUGH some one spoke this truthful 

word, 

"The pen is mightier than the sword," 
Without my first, you '11 all agree, 
Of little use the pen would be. 

Deep in my second, long ago, 
Young Mr. Green was said to throw 
A victim innocent of wrong, 
The hero of a well-known song. 

What products of what mighty brains! 
What wond'rous books my whole con- 
tains! 
What reams of prose and verse! Yet all 
Tinged with the bitterness of gall! 



E 



oj the Sphinx 123 

119 

AGERLY I my first the pack 

So that we might pursue the game; 

I made a good deal, but the lack 
Of interest made the sport seem tame. 

My second ladies richly gowned 
May see in patterns of their silk, 

My second also may be found 
In terrapin and buttermilk. 

My whole will fly right merrily 
O'er many a cold and chilly mile; 

? T is only one, yet verily 

'T would equally describe a file. 



1 24 At the Sign of the Sphinx 
T20 



M 



Y first bears many a noble name, 
Two letters add, 't is still the same. 

I saw my second in dark waters 
It was the last of noble daughters. 

My whole, though very picturesque, 
May be quite ugly and grotesque; 
And Shakespeare used the word to mean 
The witches in a ghastly scene. 



ANSWERS 



AT THE SIGN OF THE SPHINX 



ANSWERS TO SECOND SERIES 

i. Cornice 

2. Farewell 

3. Nowhere 

4. Daybreak 

5. Dolphin 

6. Expense 

7. Scrutiny 

8. Expediency 

(X pd n c) 

9. Ancestor 

10. Palfrey 

11. Bookplate 

12. Massacre 

13. Palace 

14. Corkage 

15. Digit 

16. Animate 

17. Rubric 

18. Nectar 

19. Crosswise 

20. Mermaid 

126 



21 


Skylark 


22 


Mandates 


2 3 


Hemisphere 


24 


Handspring 


25 


Backward 


26 


Hatter 


27 


Mildew 


28 


To-day 


29 


Nameless 


30 


Cognac 


3 1 


Together 


32 


Kingdom 


33 


Punchbowl 


34 


Childhood 


35 


Hundred 


36 


Hammock 


37 


Obey 


38 


Willow 


39 


Humorist 




(Hume wrist) 


40 


Sidewalk 



Answers to Second Series 



i-7 



41. Maiden 

42. FlREDOG 

43. Couplet 

44. Nosegay 

45. Escape 

46. Helpmeet 

47. Cattail 

48. Heathen 

49. Crabbed 

50. Kindred 

51. Arc ad y 

52. Apron 

53. Decade 

54. Cowslip 

55. Lamppost 

56. Sinking 

57. Cathay 

58. Belfry 

59. Welfare 

60. Nomad 

61. Aching 

62. Worsted 

63. Pennant 

64. Handled 

65. Elbow 

66. Earnest 

67. Tendril 

68. Dido 



69. Syntax 

70. Shoehorn 

71. Sundry 

72. Codfish 

73. Ceres (Series) 

74. Annex 

75. Pastime 

76. Forethought 

77. Frontispiece 

78. Pipestem 

79. Poetry 

80. Dustpan 

81. Hairbreadth 

82. Direct 
8^. Donkey 
84. Saltcellar 
8$. Sediment 

86. Sackbut 

87. Centaur 

88. Figure 

89. Thinking 

90. Sleeper 

91. Farthing 

92. Ivy 

93. Flagstaff 

94. Windfall 

95. Seaweed 

96. Snowdrop 



128 



Answers to Second Series 



97- 


Threshold 


109. 


Student 


98. 


Shirtwaist 


no. 


Island 


99. 


Mandolin 


in. 


Toucan 


100. 


Sideboard 


112. 


Beanstalk 


101. 


Spendthrift 


"3- 


Corncob 


102. 


Urchin 


114. 


Bootjack 


103. 


Notice 


ii5- 


Lesson 


104. 


Sealskin 


116. 


Sparrow 


105. 


Tartan 


117. 


Brownie 


106. 


Pleasure 


118. 


Inkwell 


107. 


Capsize 


119. 


Cutter 


108. 


August 


120. 


Posters 



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